Patch Alert: Critical Apache Struts Flaw Found, Exploitation Attempts Detected
Vulnerabilities mentionedAll →
| CVE | Vulnerability | CVSS | EPSS | Flags | Affected | Exposure | Published |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVE-2023-50164 | An attacker can manipulate file upload params to enable paths traversal and under some circumstances this can lead to uploading a malicious file which can be us An attacker can manipulate file upload params to enable paths traversal and under some circumstances this can lead to uploading a malicious file which can be used to perform Remote Code Execution. Users are recommended to upgrade to versions Struts 2.5.33 or Struts 6.3.0.2 or greater to fix this issue. NVD description · AI analysis pending | 9.8 | 81% |
| — | ||
| CVE-2024-53677 | Path Traversal in Apache Struts File Upload Leading to RCE (CVE-2024-53677) Apache Struts contains a flaw in its legacy file upload logic (CWE-434) that allows an attacker to manipulate file upload parameters to traverse paths outside the intended upload directory. It is triggered when an application relies on the old upload mechanism built around FileuploadInterceptor; applications using the new file upload mechanism are not affected. By uploading a malicious file to a location where it can be executed, an attacker can, under some circumstances, achieve remote code execution on the server. All Apache Struts versions from 2.0.0 up to but not including 6.4.0 are affected, though only deployments still using the legacy upload interceptor. There is no public PoC or CISA KEV entry yet, but EPSS is exceptionally high (78.2%, 100th percentile) and news reports indicate threat actors are already attempting to exploit the flaw in the wild. Do: Upgrade Apache Struts to version 6.4.0 or later and migrate applications to the new file upload mechanism. If upgrading is not immediately possible, verify whether your application uses the legacy FileuploadInterceptor; if it does not, the application is safe. Review upload parameter handling and monitor the official S2-067 advisory for mitigation details, as active exploitation attempts have been reported. | 9.5 | 78% |
| largetens of thousands of internet-exposed Apache Struts instances (exact vulnerable subset unknown) |
Full article411 words · extracted from thehackernews.com · click to collapse
Ravie LakshmananDec 18, 2024Cyber Attack / Vulnerability
Threat actors are attempting to exploit a recently disclosed security flaw impacting Apache Struts that could pave the way for remote code execution.
The issue, tracked as CVE-2024-53677, carries a CVSS score of 9.5 out of 10.0, indicating critical severity. The vulnerability shares similarities with another critical bug the project maintainers addressed in December 2023 (CVE-2023-50164, CVSS score: 9.8), which also came under active exploitation shortly after public disclosure.
"An attacker can manipulate file upload params to enable paths traversal and under some circumstances this can lead to uploading a malicious file which can be used to perform Remote Code Execution," according to the Apache advisory.
In other words, successful exploitation of the flaw could allow a malicious actor to upload arbitrary payloads to susceptible instances, which could then be leveraged to run commands, exfiltrate data, or download additional payloads for follow-on exploitation.
The vulnerability impacts the following versions, and has been patched in Struts 6.4.0 or greater -
- Struts 2.0.0 - Struts 2.3.37 (End-of-Life),
- Struts 2.5.0 - Struts 2.5.33, and
- Struts 6.0.0 - Struts 6.3.0.2
Dr. Johannes Ullrich, dean of research for SANS Technology Institute, said that an incomplete patch for CVE-2023-50164 may have led to the new problem, adding exploitation attempts matching the publicly-released proof-of-concept (PoC) have been detected in the wild.
"At this point, the exploit attempts are attempting to enumerate vulnerable systems," Ullrich noted. "Next, the attacker attempts to find the uploaded script. So far, the scans originate only from 169.150.226[.]162."
To mitigate the risk, users are recommended to upgrade to the latest version as soon as possible and rewrite their code to use the new Action File Upload mechanism and related interceptor.
"Apache Struts sits at the heart of many corporate IT stacks, driving public-facing portals, internal productivity applications, and critical business workflows," Saeed Abbasi, product manager of Threat Research Unit at Qualys, said. "Its popularity in high-stakes contexts means that a vulnerability like CVE-2024-53677 could have far-reaching implications."
Update
Attack surface management company Censys said that it has observed 13,539 exposed web applications utilizing the Apache Struts framework, although it bears noting that not all of these instances are running a susceptible version. "A large proportion of these (69%) are geolocated in the United States," it said.
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Text extracted automatically; images, tables and formatting may be missing. Original: https://thehackernews.com/2024/12/patch-alert-critical-apache-struts-flaw.html